


The Devil's Voice Is Sweet To Hear

by MissMoochy



Category: Daredevil (Comics), Daredevil (TV), Marvel, Spider-Gwen (Comics)
Genre: Dimension Travel, Doppelganger, Earth-65, Enemies to Lovers, Evil Twins, Fighting Kink, Hate Sex, Jealous Matt Murdock, Jealousy, Love Triangles, M/M, Matt Murderdock - Freeform, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Obsession, POV Foggy Nelson, Possessive Sex, Twins, Yandere, bottom Foggy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:15:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25391473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMoochy/pseuds/MissMoochy
Summary: A man who looks almost exactly like Matt has turned up. He claims to be Matt from another universe and needs Matt and Foggy's help on returning home. Foggy feels troubled because the snarky, cruel-voiced stranger can't explain how he came to be in their universe. And even more bizarrely, he won't leave Foggy alone...
Relationships: Matt Murdock/Franklin "Foggy" Nelson
Comments: 44
Kudos: 137





	1. Matt Is Literally Beside Himself

**Author's Note:**

> Matt Murderdock is the name fans have given to Matt Murdock from Earth-65 in the Spider-Gwen comic. Basically, it's kind of like a parallel universe and Matt becomes evil and a criminal bigwig. See here for more details: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Matthew_Murdock_(Earth-65)

One morning, Foggy walked into Nelson & Murdock to see not one Matthew Murdock, but two.

He took a few seconds to collect himself, and even did that cartoon thing where you blink and rub your eyes, but no. Two Matts. Count them. One, two. They were standing, quietly talking and Karen was with them, but she looked as floored as Foggy felt. Her head was bobbing left and right, following the Matt-to-Matt conversation, her long blonde hair swishing like a horse’s tail.

“Uh...hello,” Foggy said haltingly and his heart convulsed as two identical faces turned towards him. There was Matt, _his_ Matt, fluffy-haired as a newborn duckling, in his dark suit. And then there was the stranger. Matt but not Matt. Ersatz Matt. I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-Matt™. Wearing a red suit. Structurally, his face was identical, same perfect brows, high cheekbones, square jaw, but his hair was a fiery red. His hair didn’t have that tousled, feathery fluffiness that Matt’s had. Matt’s eternal bed hair was one of his best qualities but this man’s hair fell across his forehead in a fairly standard fashion. It was cut a little bit longer than Matt’s and flopped across his brow when he dipped his head. At least Matt and his counterpart had that particular idiosyncrasy in common. Both men tilted their heads to the side, listening for changes in the air. It was kind of eerie, seeing them perform the exact same gesture. When Matt did it, he resembled a puppy begging for scraps. When his doppelganger did it, it was like a wolf scenting fresh blood.

“Hello, Foggy,” Matt said warily and the stranger tensed, his eyebrows lifting over his sunglasses. Foggy thought he saw him silently mouth Foggy’s name to himself, his expression unreadable.

“Hi, Karen. Hi, Matt. Elephant in the room. Why am I seeing two of you? Is there a carbon monoxide leak in the office or something?”

Matt shook his head. “No. Uh, allow me to introduce my...well, myself. This is Matt Murdock. He’s not from around here.”

“No...kidding…” Foggy muttered, walking right up to them. “I feel like I’m going to wake up and this is all going to be some bizarre, alcohol-induced dream. He’s you. He’s you but he’s not.”

“Murdock—” Matt said and gestured at the stranger. “—is from another reality. He got lost and found himself here. Do you believe in parallel universe theory?”

“I believe you’re about to go on a long thing about parallel universe theory.”

“Okay. Parallel universe theory suggests that there are alternate realities where—”

“Matt, stop. I know about parallel worlds, I’ve watched _Doctor Who._ And this guy is clearly _you._ So, he came from another world that’s a bit like ours, but for some reason, is one where Matt Murdock has red hair and wears outlandish suits—”

“Hey!” The guy, Murdock, interjected.

“So, the question is, how do we get you back home?” Foggy asked him, meeting him head-on.

“You tell me. I don’t even know how I got here in the first place.” Murdock replied, and shrugged. His voice was of a slightly lower pitch than Matt’s. It was more like Daredevil’s voice. Foggy wondered if Murdock had powers too. 

As if he’d somehow read his mind (and Foggy wouldn’t put that past him), Matt said: “If you’re wondering, yes, Murdock is like me in every way. He is also blind and he has enhanced senses too.”

The whole Daredevil thing was no secret to Foggy and Karen by this point but it still was surreal, realising that there were two super-powered people in the room. Four ears listening to Foggy’s heartbeat. He shivered. 

Foggy directed his next question to Murdock. “Do you work at _Nelson & Murdock _too?” 

Murdock’s lip curled. “My work has taken me in a different direction in recent years. I don’t see much of Foggy these days, sadly.”

“Why?”

Matt cleared his throat. “I was saying to Murdock, before you got here, that we’ll have to find a way to open up a portal so Murdock can make his way back to his own reality. We might need to consult some experts.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Matt dragged a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. Foggy’s heart melted at the fluffy tufts. Dumb duckling. “I appreciate the offer. At the moment, I’m not sure what to do. Until this is resolved, Murdock will be staying in my apartment.”

Foggy furrowed his brow. “Carrot Top can’t spring for a hotel?”

“I think it’s best if people don’t learn about Murdock’s presence in this world. I don’t want to have to invent a fake twin.” Matt said drily.

“Oh, okay. So, until we find some smarty-pants scientists, it’s just...what? Business as usual?”

“Pretty much.” Matt nodded.

* * *

Business as usual. Working in the office with two Matts. It might sound like Heaven (and Foggy’s dirty mind had definitely generated a few choice images, thinking about _two_ Matts) but it actually made him uncomfortable. He’d done a good job of hiding his feelings from Matt for all these years, but it was difficult. Sometimes, he hated that Matt had powers. And yes, it wasn’t Matt’s fault and yes, having such sensitive powers must be challenging and overwhelming at times. He did acknowledge that. But sometimes, he wished Matt was less perceptive. A blind guy wouldn’t be able to sense the heat burning in Foggy’s cheeks when Matt shot him a grin. A blind guy wouldn’t be able to hear Foggy’s racing heartbeat when Matt walked in out of the rain, droplets of water glistening in his dark hair like jewels. Despite that, Foggy had either managed to convince Matt that he was purely interested in his friendship, or Matt was completely oblivious. Or Matt was aware of his feelings but was too polite to mention them. The third one was more likely. But how was Foggy going to remain professional around two Matt Murdocks?

There was also the fact that Murdock was kind of a jerk. Foggy had sensed that, in their first meeting. Murdock didn’t smile, he smirked, a cruel twisting of his lips as if he knew something Foggy didn’t. Foggy had been a kid called _Franklin Nelson,_ he’d encountered bullies in his life. He got the feeling that Murdock was...mean. Which was ridiculous, he was a Murdock. And Matt wouldn’t hurt a fly. A mugger, yes. But they sort of deserved it, didn’t they? Matt wouldn’t hurt the innocent. And he’d never hurt for pleasure.

As Foggy worked, he was constantly aware of Murdock’s presence. Whether he was copying a document, drinking coffee or typing, Murdock was lurking by the printer, drumming his fingers on the kitchen counter or prowling around outside Foggy’s door.

Murdock didn’t do it to Karen. And he was giving Matt a wide berth.

* * *

Foggy did his best to ignore him. He kept copying, he kept chugging down the swill that Karen called coffee, he carried on working until lunchtime. It was only when Matt had stepped out to get them all some lunch, Karen accompanying him, that Murdock spoke to him. Foggy had scowled at Matt’s and Karen’s backs as they left, but he sensed that she wanted to get away from Murdock. And Matt didn’t want her to be on her own. Perhaps he was thinking that if Murdock had somehow got sucked into their world, other people or beings might have turned up, as well. Maybe it was best to stick together, safety in numbers and all that jazz.

Foggy was making himself a coffee when Murdock slithered into the kitchen. God, how did he move so silently? He wasn’t even bothering to do the whole ‘helpless blind guy act’, he didn’t even have a cane. He was wearing sunglasses, dark red, like Matt’s but they were rectangular, not like Matt’s circular shades. Foggy secretly thought that Murdock’s glasses were less flattering.

He figured that Murdock was going to keep skulking around in any room that Foggy occupied, so he may as well broach a conversation with him. Maybe he could find out something useful that they could use to get him home.

“So, Murdock…” Foggy said.

Murdock smiled when Foggy said his name. “Yes, _Foggy?_ ”

“What do you remember last? The last thing before you found yourself here?”

Murdock made a considering sound, leaning against the counter with his arms folded. “Let me think. I was at home. I had a few glasses of wine. I listened to the news on television. I felt drowsy, so I brushed my teeth and retired to bed. When I awoke, I was lying on something cold. I felt the sidewalk under my hands. Rough, gritty. I could smell the pollution, exhaust fumes from passing cars. I thought I had somehow sleep-walked outside. But the smells were different.”

“Different?” The best trick to get somebody to talk was to leave a lingering silence. A wide, yawning silence that they felt compelled to fill. But Murdock was talking breezily, showing no signs of unease, so Foggy felt it would be acceptable to say a word to encourage him.

“Yes. They were scents I recognise, but they were wrong. Have you ever been away from your home for a while, vacation, perhaps? You return and the house smells different?”

“Not really?”

“Oh. Well, no matter. The city was familiar but it was slightly altered. I realised I was in a different reality. I was able to ask for directions, I found a passer-by. I kept telling her my name, Matt Murdock, but she thought I was asking for directions to _Nelson & Murdock_. She brought me here.”

“I’m glad she did,” Foggy said. It would have been a disaster if too many people noticed this strange, fake Matt Murdock imposter, loudly protesting that he was Matt.

“You’re glad? You’re...pleased that I’m here?” Murdock said, in a strange tone.

“Uh…” Foggy said but was interrupted by the boiling kettle. Relieved to have a distraction, he poured steaming hot water into his mug. He thought of something. “So, there really is a Foggy in your universe?”

“Yes. There is.” Murdock said, somewhat bitterly, Foggy thought.

“What’s your Foggy like?”

“Boring.” Murdock scoffed. Yup, definitely bitter.

“Is he a lawyer, too?” He couldn’t imagine it, a Foggy who wasn’t him. A Foggy who spoke with his voice, signed his name, a Foggy who was friends with a Matt Murdock like this.

“Actually, he's a District Attorney.”

Foggy cracked a smile. “Seriously? Me as a DA?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

He laughed self-consciously. “I don’t know. I guess I never thought I was headed to such a bright future.”

Murdock hmmed. “Do you really want to be working here for the rest of your life?”

Foggy bristled at that. Here was a pretty good place. Okay, they could do with having more clients (and clients who could pay more) and yeah, the coffee was gross but — “I don’t know, I mean, I’m not unambitious,”

“Absolutely not,” Murdock purred. Oh God, did he have to say it like that? His voice a velvety murmur, as if this conversation was about something more personal than career choices. It was a voice that was born in the bedroom, a voice that was as soft as a caress in the dark. It wasn’t a voice that judged him and so, Foggy felt coaxed into honesty.

“I just, I don’t...” He was stumbling on his words, “Sometimes, it feels like the whole avocado gig — sorry. Inside joke. The cases we take, they’re not exactly lucrative. Our clients can’t pay much, we work at a really discounted rate. And I’m, you know, I’m cool with that because I’m finally helping people and I get to work alongside my best friend—”

Murdock frowned at that but he didn’t interrupt.

“—But I do sometimes feel like I'm spinning my wheels here. And Matt—” He broke off abruptly.

“Matt?” Murdock crooned, leaning in. Foggy felt appalled at his own candid remarks but he’d already said too much.

“He...I know that it’s hard for him, although he never complains, he’s got the whole catholic martyr thing going on. But he gets to have powers, you know? I know it’s gruelling work and he gets injured and he puts himself in danger every night but...he gets to be a hero. He gets to really help people. And people respect him.”

“People don’t respect you?”

“They do. But not like that. And it’s not enough that he’s a superhero, and people think he’s amazing, he gets to be gorgeous as well—” Foggy heard the words leaving his mouth and it was _you’re a really, really, good-looking guy_ all over again. He felt heat bloom in his cheeks and what was worse was that he knew Murdock could sense it. Feel that the air grew warmer around Foggy’s face or some shit. “I...shouldn’t have said that. Can we please forget I said that. In your universe, do you have access to the Men In Black tech that erases people’s minds? ‘Cause I could really do with getting my hands on one of those doohickeys right about now.”

“No sci-fi tech, I’m afraid. But what we’ve discussed will stay between us. I promise,” Murdock said and pulled his shades down his nose, just enough to show his dark eyes. He winked, the bastard. “If you can’t trust a lawyer, who can you trust?”

For some reason, Foggy didn’t feel reassured.

As Foggy was leaving the room, white-knuckling the handle of his cup of coffee, Murdock called him back.

“One observation, Foggy. Couldn’t help noticing,”

“Y-yeah? What’s that?”

“If you think Matt is gorgeous...then you must think that I am, too.”

Foggy gaped at him, rendered speechless. Before he could even begin to formulate a response, Murdock laughed gently and stalked off. Leaving Foggy alone.


	2. Lunchtime Bros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The office is getting crowded so Foggy goes out for coffee. Murdock insists on accompanying him.

Matt and Karen returned, carrying hot bags of takeout from the new Japanese restaurant that had opened a few doors down. They all sat grouped around Karen’s desk to eat. As they ate, Matt relayed what Murdock had told him when he’d first been spat out into their universe. The account matched up perfectly with what Murdock had told Foggy, minus a few irrelevant details (the wine and the thing about the new universe smelling wrong) but Foggy nodded and listened. Murdock offered no further commentary, he had his head bent over his katsu chicken and was shovelling in forkfuls of rice. 

“You must be hungry,” Foggy said.

“Ravenous,” Murdock said shortly, around a mouthful of food. Foggy should have been repulsed but it was fascinating to see this new, unfamiliar Matt Murdock. Matt tried so hard to be dignified, but Murdock was cramming food into his mouth, barely chewing before he swallowed it down. Foggy was reminded, for some reason, of the way a dog eats. They devour their food as fast as they can without appreciating the taste. Murdock’s teeth were white and very sharp, he noticed. It’s a wonder that Matt never got any of his teeth knocked during his vigilante nights.

“See something you like?” Murdock said and Foggy hurriedly drew his gaze away. ****

“I don’t know how Murdock came to be in our universe but if he went to sleep in his own bed and woke up in our world, it’s fair to say there may have been another party involved. There must be people in his world who would benefit from his disappearance, so I think we shouldn’t rule out foul play.” ****

“That’s all well and good, Matt,” Foggy said heatedly. “But that doesn’t explain how we’re going to send him back.” ****

“You’re that anxious to get rid of me?” Murdock said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. He burped obnoxiously. Karen shuddered.

“I said we’d need experts. We’re going to have to speak to The Avengers.”

More dangerously-overpowered people. _Great._

* * *

Murdock’s ghoulish laughter rang in Foggy’s ears for the rest of the day. He wasted many minutes recalling the conversation and manufacturing the perfect, pithy comeback. Pity he hadn’t thought of it earlier. It would have been worth it to see that fat, pink smirk drop and be replaced by resignation instead. Although, Matt was a bit of a hothead so maybe it was sensible not to provoke a guy who was just another version of him. Foggy shivered. A guy like Murdock could be a formidable enemy, if he wanted to. **  
**

Karen was treating Murdock as if he was invisible. All three members of _Nelson & Murdock_ ( & Page) kept resolutely working, while Murdock lounged around on counters and poked around in cupboards. 

Foggy scanned documents at the printer/photocopier (they’d finally upgraded to a superior model. It was expensive but Foggy considered it an investment). He kept thinking back to the conversation he’d had with Murdock. He’d played right into that ginger bastard’s hands, exposing his secret thoughts on the company, on Matt. His doubts, his desires. Not good.

He regretted confiding in him. What was he _thinking?_ Sometimes, Foggy seriously questioned his own intelligence. He’d told him not only his doubts about the firm but also, his resentment towards Matt. He’d told Murdock that he thought Matt was gorgeous, for fuck’s sake! Something told him it wasn’t a good idea to give Murdock too many of your secrets. He’d probably sell them to the highest bidder or something. Not that anybody would want to buy secrets of Foggy’s crush but…

“You’re thinking so hard, I can hear your brain turning over in your skull.” ****

Foggy whirled around but _phew,_ it was Matt. His Matt. Well, maybe not _his_ Matt. The world’s Matt. ****

“You can’t hear my brain, you liar!” ****

Matt grinned sheepishly. “I was joking. But I can hear you grinding your teeth so I wondered if you had something on your mind?” ****

“Where is he?” ****

Matt tipped his head to the side and listened. “He’s gone for a walk. I can’t hear him, which means he can’t hear us.” ****

“Good. Matt, what...what is this?” ****

Matt let out a sigh and felt for the edge of the wall. Foggy wondered if he could sense it or if that was more acting. The helpless blind guy shtick. Matt leant against it. “I don’t know. He’s in need of our help, so I can’t turn him away. He doesn’t belong in this universe so I believe I have a duty to help him find his way back. I’m...I’m sorry you and Karen got dragged into this.” The Sad Catholic™ expression was making its way across Matt’s face, and Foggy had to crush the sudden urge to hug him. Or smooth his hand along that frowning brow, until the pads of his fingers erased the worry lines.

“Hey, now, you do not get to feel guilty about this. This isn’t your fault and it’s not Murdock’s either. He was ambushed by some creep and thrown into this universe.” ****

Matt didn’t seem reassured, if anything, he looked more frowny and down in the (perfectly-shaped) mouth than ever. “It bothers me because we don’t know who this person was. Or if they are aware of who Murdock really is.” ****

“It’s weird that the creepy kidnapper threw Murdock in here but not that universe’s Foggy. Although, Murdock said that he and the other Foggy aren’t friends anymore, didn’t he? Why do you think that is? Uh, Matt?” ****

Matt jumped, actually gave a little shake like a cat flicking water off its fur. “Huh? Oh, sorry. Um...I don’t know why they...I guess they had a falling out. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about anything _Daredevil_ related,” he said although he didn’t say the word but merely mouthed it. “It could have been any million reasons for a relationship, uh, _expiring._ ” ****

“Are you going to ask him?” ****

Matt paused. “Why would I do that? That’s a personal thing to ask somebody.”

“I—yeah, but, it might be relevant to the kidnapping—” ****

“Foggy,” Matt said and Foggy instantly fell silent. “I recommend we play this carefully. We don’t know what kind of threat we’re dealing with. And if the kidnapper knows Murdock is Daredevil, that is very bad news,” He tensed, hearing some change in the air that was unknown to Foggy. “I have a mountain of paperwork to get through but we’ll make a detailed plan tomorrow morning, okay?” ****

“Okay.”

* * *

Matt sequestered himself in his office, and set to work. He didn’t want to be disturbed and that was fine by Foggy. He had work of his own to do, so he sat in his office and worked his way through the contents of a file. Their latest case was for a woman called Melanie Newman, who claimed she had been run over as an act of malice. The driver was a friend of her ex-lover and he stated it was an accident. Foggy didn’t buy his act for a second. ****

He actually got a lot of work done, and decided to make himself a coffee when his fingers began to cramp up from typing. ****

Unfortunately, Murdock must have considered the kitchen fair game for harassing Foggy, because he appeared out of nowhere as Foggy waited for the kettle to boil. ****

Murdock had no concept of personal space. The kitchen wasn’t huge but there was enough room for them to stand without their bodies coming into contact with one another. But Murdock kept bumping into him as Foggy searched the cupboards for a packet or sugar. Any step he took made him collide with Murdock’s side or hand or elbow. He was going to give up and get coffee from a cafe instead (and how he hated himself for giving into Murdock’s childish games so easily) but Murdock prevented him from leaving. Physically blocked him from leaving by grabbing his hair. ****

Foggy turned as much as he could, without getting his hair ripped from his skull. “What are you doing?” ****

Murdock gave the lock a playful tug, ignoring Foggy’s grunt of discomfort. “I like your hair, it’s longer than I remember.” ****

“If you like your fingers being unbroken, then you should let go.” ****

Murdock released him and Foggy stepped back, massaging the back of his skull with his fingers. “You are a walking headache, you know that?” ****

“But I’m _your_ headache.”

“I’m just trying to make myself a coffee, Murdock.” ****

“I know. We’re out of sugar.”

“ _We_ are not out of everything, you don’t work here. If you would get out of my way, I could find the sugar.”

“You can search but you won’t find any. Karen used up the last of it an hour ago.” ****

“Then I’ll make it black,” Foggy said but he sounded half-hearted even to himself. He needed the powerful combination of sugar and caffeine to get him through the paperwork. ****

“Are you sure?” Murdock asked him, in faux-concern. When he tipped his head like that, his lips falling into a worried pout, God, he looked like Matt. Foggy mentally shook himself. And then mentally slapped himself for good measure. ****

“Fuck it. I’ll go to the cafe.” ****

Murdock immediately brightened. “I’m coming with you!”

“ _No!_ ”

* * *

Despite Foggy’s protests, Murdock followed him like a shadow. No matter how fast Foggy walked or what shortcuts he took, Murdock doggedly pursued him, striding far too confidently for a blind man. ****

Murdock neatly sidestepped the path of a lolloping dog, straining on its leash and Foggy lost patience. “You know, if you’re going to insist on hanging around, you need to at least pretend that you’re blind!” ****

“I _am_ blind,” Murdock said, nudging Foggy’s elbow with his own. ****

“So act like it. Where’s your cane?” ****

“Oh. Back at the office.” ****

“Of course it is! You see what I’m saying?” ****

“I can’t see what you’re saying. Blind, remember?” ****

Foggy tried to bite back his guffaw but he couldn’t, and Murdock laughed too. His laugh was deeper than Matt’s. ****

“So, where are we headed?” ****

“You’re not my chaperone, Murdock, go back to the office.”

“I’m not chaperoning anything, I want a coffee too.”

Foggy eyed him sceptically. “You have money?” ****

“I doubt my card will work but I’ve got cash on me. Tell you what, why don’t I pay for both of us? My way of saying thank you for helping me get back to my own world.” ****

“We haven’t actually managed that yet.” ****

“But you will,” Murdock said. “You’re Foggy Nelson.” He said that as if it meant something. He reached for him and Foggy flinched but all Murdock did was worm his fingers into the crook of his arm, his hand curling around Foggy’s arm the way Matt used to do. It felt weird, both familiar and alien. It felt right but looked wrong. Wrong guy. Murdock was content, though, because a smile spread across his face. ****

“What are you doing?” ****

“You said I have to show that I’m blind. I don’t have my cane so you have to guide me.” ****

“What? No, I…” Foggy spluttered but Murdock said nothing, still smiling benignly. There was probably a compelling argument Foggy could make but none that he could think up in this moment, so instead, he grudgingly let Murdock cling to him as they walked through the crowds.

* * *

Murdock didn’t remove his hand from Foggy’s arm, not even once they were in the cafe. They lined up to order coffees, and Foggy ordered for them, leaving Murdock to pay. An espresso for Foggy and a cappuccino for Murdock. Murdock paid with a banknote. He extracted it from his jacket pocket with difficulty, because one hand was pinned to Foggy’s arm. Foggy wished the ground would crack open and swallow him up. But it would probably swallow Murdock up too, and there’d be no way of escaping him then. ****

* * *

They took an alternative way back to the office, and Murdock stopped dead, without a care for the people walking behind him. “Do you smell that?” ****

“What is it, boy? Trouble at the old mill?”

Murdock’s lips twitched but he didn’t rise to Foggy's bait. “No, I can smell ice cream. Let’s get ice cream.”

“What? No, we can’t, we have to get back to the office—” but Murdock was pulling on his arm and he found himself being dragged along. Murdock’s arm felt like steel as Foggy clutched it for balance, being yanked through crowds, past strollers and shopping bags. ****

Murdock led them to a gelato restaurant with a glowing neon sign. It looked new, Foggy certainly hadn’t seen it before. ****

Murdock didn’t hesitate, he barrelled in, with coffee in one hand and Foggy hanging on his arm. ****

“Hi! Welcome to _Thwippy’s._ What can I get you?” the cashier, a young, blonde girl who could have been Karen’s sister, looked with interest at Murdock and Foggy. Foggy could have happily hid under the counter. He felt flushed, his hair was windswept with strands getting stuck in his mouth, and even his tie was askew. Murdock was as composed as ever, cheerfully trading banter with the girl and asking what she recommended. ****

“We have a special called _Spidey Surprise,_ in honour of Spider-Man. Our CEO is a big fan!”

“Really? That’s interesting. You know, my _partner_ is more of a Daredevil man, himself.” Murdock said wryly, as Foggy tried and failed to extricate himself from Murdock’s grip. ****

“Aw yeah, DD’s the best, isn’t he?” she smiled at Foggy. “Um, so a _Spidey Surprise_ is vanilla ice cream that's dyed blue and strawberry ice cream that's red. It comes with whipped cream, crushed nuts and a sauce of your choosing. It’s pretty big, you’re meant to share it.”

“Excellent,” Murdock said, reaching into his jacket pocket and retrieving more bills. “We’ll have one of those and two spoons.” ****

“Murdock, we have to get back to work…”

“But _Foggy…_ ” Murdock whined, throwing a poor imitation of Matt’s Sad Puppy™ expression at him. Even the cashier joined in, pleading Foggy’s name until he grudgingly accepted. And ice cream did sound pretty good.

* * *

Any doubts Foggy may have harboured were eradicated by the sight of the _Spidey Surprise_ being laid out in front of him. It was a thing of beauty and he snapped a quick picture of it on his phone to show Karen. ****

Sitting here, in a red leather booth with Murdock across from him, he could almost believe he was here with Matt instead. The cashier, Ericka, had had no problem with them bringing their outside drinks in the restaurant and the hot coffee was pleasant after big gulps of cold ice cream. Foggy didn’t hold back and ate heartily, although he did try to keep his spoon away from Murdock’s. ****

“I think we had the right idea, getting the chocolate sauce,” Foggy said. Murdock nodded. It was hard to tell if the man was enjoying himself, he was eating but his face was sober. He wasn’t as talkative as Matt, but that was fine. Foggy could talk enough for both people. “I like hazelnuts. It’s clever how they made the web shape on the ice cre—”

“Foggy, do you ever think about what life would be like if you made different choices?” ****

“Huh?” Foggy dug his spoon into a troublesome patch of ice cream and was rewarded with an almost intact hazelnut, for his trouble. ****

Murdock played with his spoon. “The choices we make...they affect so much. We never understand the magnitude of our actions until it’s too late. It’s like a pond, you throw a stone in and the ripples spread outward. Sometimes, I consider the ripples I’ve made.” ****

He wasn’t quite sure what to say. “Are you thinking about how you got stuck in our universe?” ****

“No,” Murdock sighed. “Other things. It’s not important. Oh, I think a bit of the sauce has frozen solid. Do you want it?” ****

Yeah, thanks.” Fogy said. He thought Murdock would pick it up with his spoon and drop it onto Foggy’s side of the bowl, but instead, Murdock held his spoon to Foggy’s mouth, like you would to a toddler. Foggy shrugged but parted his lips and pulled the clump of frozen chocolate into his mouth. Sweetness lined his tongue and he smiled at Murdock. He knew Murdock couldn’t see the smile but perhaps, he sensed it, because he grinned back. ****


	3. Three's A Crowd

When Foggy and Murdock vacated _Thwippy's_ , Foggy automatically offered his arm for Murdock to take, forgetting that this was the wrong Matt Murdock. Murdock smiled, and rubbed Foggy’s arm, and thanked him, but informed him that he wouldn’t be returning to the office that day.

“Where are you going?” Foggy had asked, telling himself that the flicker of emotion he felt was relief, not disappointment.

“It’s a big city, it’s all new to me. I’m going to do some exploring. But you go off. Just…be careful, alright? A lot of dangerous people around. Stay in the crowd, keep away from open alleyways.”

He bit back the insolent retort that was hanging on his lips. Murdock didn’t mean any harm. Or not currently. “I’ll be careful. Promise.”

Murdock stood there, outside the restaurant as Foggy crossed the road. Although he knew the man was blind, it almost looked like he was watching him. Or listening to his footsteps? When he looked back, Murdock was still standing there, stiff as a mannequin, unmoving amongst the waves of people. Foggy hurried away, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder again.

* * *

When he got back to the office, Matt pulled a face but didn’t comment on Foggy’s adventure. He didn’t even ask where Murdock was. Karen was less subtle, she grabbed Foggy by the arm on his way to the bathroom.

“Where’s Murdock?”

“He said he wanted to go exploring. I don’t know if he’s coming back. He’s supposed to be staying with Matt while all this is going on, isn’t he?”

“As long as we get a break from him for a few hours. He’s the worst.”

"Yeah, yeah, he sucks.”

“Where were you earlier? Did you have a second lunch?”

“Murdock wanted ice cream, I had to guide him around. It was a drag.” he lied, and she tutted in sympathy.

“At least you kept Murdock busy for a bit. It was like a reprieve. We’re already so tired of him. We were talking about it when you left.”

Oh, _we’re_ tired, are we? _Great._ Now, there wasn’t even any point in distinguishing Matt and Karen as individuals, they were one homogenous blob, as far as Foggy was concerned. He knew he was being childish, but it had been ages since he’d talked to Matt about anything that wasn’t work-related or Daredevil-related and it rankled that Matt found it acceptable to have these little tête-à-têtes with Karen.

Murdock didn’t show up for the rest of the day, to Karen’s relief. Matt wasn’t bothered, he said that Murdock had memorised Matt’s phone number, in case of emergencies. And Murdock could take care of himself.

* * *

That night, Foggy tossed and turned in bed for several hours. He was even desperate enough to try counting sheep but counting woke him up even more. He had brushed his teeth but even with the rush of mint, he still had the phantom taste of vanilla ice cream coating his tongue. Murdock. Matt. Murdock. Matt. He pictured sheep but these ones wore dark glasses and devil horns, jumping over a sty in time with the names. Murdock. Matt. Murdock…

MattMurdockMattMurdockMattMurdock…

* * *

He awoke, feeling cold all over. The mattress was like a block of ice, it was…

It wasn’t a mattress at all. He was lying on discoloured newspapers. He jerked up and hit his head on a hard metal ceiling. He didn’t have room to sit up, only crouch. Newspapers below him (he scratched at them, revealing shiny steel underneath) and bars to his left, right and in front of him. A steel wall behind him. Trapped like a rat. He began to hyperventilate, noisy breaths rushing out of him, sounding like a deflating balloon.

The bars felt cold and sturdy when he pushed at them. He squinted through them, to see what looked like a vast warehouse.

Everything was bathed in a sickly yellow light. The room stank of urine and sweat and the floor was thick with layers and layers of newspaper. Foggy recognised the font for _The Daily Bugle,_ a New York publication, there on the floor. A few feet from him. The headline proclaimed something about Magneto rising to power. The date was written too small for him to see it. He wouldn’t have been able to reach the paper, but he tried anyway.

He heard a wet sniffle and he looked up, pressing his forehead against the bars, squinting to see…

Cages lined the walls, heavy iron bars just like his. And bodies filled the cages, some were awake, others asleep or possibly even dead. He didn’t know. But every person looked dirty and tired, with lank, greasy hair and dull, defeated eyes. The genders and ethnicities varied, but none of them looked older than him.

A leggy woman strode in, followed by a group of people. Leggy to mean she had more than the usual two. He couldn’t see much of her, but she wore a white blouse and black skirt. In her hands, she carried something, possibly a clipboard, and she tapped on it as the crowd sluggishly gathered around her. She drew to a halt by Foggy’s cell.

“And here we have #1612, a very nice model, a little chubby but that just means there’s more meat to enjoy. He answers to Foggy but you can change his name.”

The group swarmed closer, and Foggy felt two dozen eyes turn to him. Of the group, he recognised a couple of people, Spider-Man in his red-and-blue suit and Jessica Jones standing beside him. After a couple of seconds, the group dispersed and wandered over to check out the other cages. Nobody lingered.

One man separated himself from the muddle and dropped to a crouch by Foggy’s cage. Through the bars, he spied ginger hair and blood-coloured glasses. The relief was instantaneous, a sweet wave of safety that washed over him.

“Murdock! You gotta get me out of here.” Foggy breathlessly begged, sticking his hand through the bars. Murdock grabbed the appendage and tried to shove it back into the cage. They tussled a bit, and Murdock scooted backwards, on his haunches. Further from the cage.

“Oh, I like this one,” he said, as the mutant woman bent down to hear him. “He’s got spirit. These humans are so funny. Matt, come over here and check out this one.”

_Matt._

Matt, silent and pale as a lonely angel, drifted over. He showed no sign of recognition, and seemed reluctant to go anywhere near the bars. Foggy reached out a hand to snag at his cane or his long coat, but he was too far away. “Matt! Matt, oh my God, help me! Get me out!”

“I don’t think he likes the cage,” Matt said, pouting sadly. “And he smells dirty. Don’t you clean them?”

The woman sighed. “We do clean them but they often fight, so it can be troublesome. This one is a little scrapper, we often have to drug him or else he bites his handler.”

“What do you think, Matty?” Murdock wheedled. “Do you like this one?”

“I don’t know…” Matt said reluctantly. “I liked the one we saw earlier. Her hair felt very soft.”

The woman glanced at her clipboard. “Oh yes, Mr Murdock, you were interested in #1501, I believe. Karen?”

“That’s the one,” Matt smiled. “Is she still available?”

Murdock snorted. “You’re insane, she was too high maintenance. And expensive. And you know you have to get the females sterilised or they bleed everywhere—”

“I thought she was nice,” Matt said quietly. “I don’t mind a bit of blood.”

“Um, sir, #1501 has attracted a fair bit of interest so if you want her, I’m afraid you would have to make a payment today…”

“Give him some breathing room while he thinks about it,” Murdock said confidently and she nodded. “Now, let’s talk deals. I like #1612 but seeing as how this one hasn’t had any offers, I think you should give me a discount, don’t you?”

“Certainly, Mr Murdock. Normally, they’d fetch up to $50,000.”

Murdock laughed. “Come on. My eyes don’t work but my brain does. You said it yourself, he’s a little older, he’s chubby, he’s a biter. I couldn’t go any higher than $30,000.”

“What about $38,000?”

They haggled back and forth as Foggy listened in horror. Eventually, Murdock agreed to pay $34,000 as long as she threw in a free collar for his troubles. They easily worked out the details while she went over the basics: feeding (“Humans are omnivores, they’ll eat anything but give them plenty of water every day!”), playing (“They need a lot of stimulation, and attention. They have a high sex drive, which I’m sure you’ll enjoy…”) and hygiene (“It’s natural that they’ll squirm a bit when you try to clean them, so don’t be afraid to overpower them. Humans are weaker than mutants, they’ll submit to you easily. Remember, you are in control, not them. Be strong and they’ll respect you for it.”).

Finally, she ended her rote speech and shuffled some papers. “Okay, we have some forms here. In braille of course. Now, what purpose will your human be serving?”

Murdock exhaled noisily. “Primarily taking care of my sexual needs, although I might give him my dry cleaning. Depends on his skillset.”

“You know, it says here that he used to be a lawyer. Back when non-mutants had rights, of course.”

“Really? That’s interesting. I think I made the right choice with this one.”

“Excellent. You fill these out and we’ll get him collared and boxed. Has your friend made a decision?”

“I want Karen,” Matt said immediately. “I don’t care what she costs, I want her.”

Murdock chuckled and clapped Matt on the shoulder. “The boy knows what he wants! I don’t know why you like the skinny ones, Matt. Personally, I like them with a bit of meat on their bones. Means there’s more for me to sink my teeth into.”

“We’ll get her wrapped up nicely for you, sir. If you’d both like to come this way?”

The lady led both Murdock men out of sight, sweeping them from the cages with a hand on each of their shoulders. Her cheerful voice and the tapping of Matt’s cane faded and Foggy was left alone.

* * *

Foggy surfaced from sleep, roused by the drone of his radio alarm clock. It had somehow bled into his dreams and his brain had mangled the beat of the song, hearing it as the tap of Matt's cane on the warehouse floor. He lay there, breathing hard, unwilling to climb out of bed, fearing his legs wouldn’t be steady.

To call it a dream would be like calling The Statue of Liberty a figurine. A gross understatement. This was a Nightmare with a capital N. Foggy didn’t believe in all that hippy-dippy bullshit about dreams predicting the future, but he did believe that dreams could tell you a lot about your own brain processes. The dream had been blatant in its metaphors. He felt trapped. He felt inferior to those with powers. He felt like Matt wanted Karen. And not him. His vision misted and he told himself it was due to the crusting sleep-sand, that had formed in the corners of his eyes.

But Murdock…what about him? He’d been clinging to Foggy constantly, since finding himself in the wrong universe. He’d joked about Foggy supposedly finding him gorgeous. He’d told the cashier at the gelato place that Foggy was his ‘partner’ and was ‘more of a Daredevil man’ than a Spider-Man fan. Murdock could be saying a lot of waffle to knock Foggy off balance, some foolish effort to intimidate him…

…but somehow, Foggy didn’t think that that was what was going on.

In the dream, Murdock had wanted to take him away from the cages. Not for altruistic reasons, but then, nobody in that dream was innocent, were they? Not even Matt. He’d simply walked away. Foggy knew he was being unfair, feeling hurt that Matt had behaved so poorly. It was a dream, not real life, Matt had done nothing wrong. But the hurt remained.

* * *

It was a disgruntled Foggy Nelson who plodded into work that morning. Fatigue clung to his skin like a bad smell, and he still felt jittery from last night’s bad dream. He had downed two coffees on his way to work and his heart was pounding in his chest but he still felt heavy-lidded and his jaw ached from yawning. It was that bone-deep exhaustion, one that settled inside and made you drag your feet, giving you the sensation that you were walking through wet sand.

He staggered into the office, to see Matt leaning against Karen’s desk, drinking a cup of coffee. Foggy hated his calmness sometimes.

“How’s _Operation: Throw Evil Twin In A Wormhole?_ ” Foggy hissed to Matt, snatching the mug out of his hands so he could steal a sip. Matt could have stopped him but he didn’t, although he did look mildly surprised at Foggy’s attitude.

“I sent Karen out to do research on wormholes and inter-dimensional travel. If there was a way we could send him home without getting The Avengers involved, I’d prefer it. I think Stark will ask a lot of difficult questions that I don’t want to answer. If push comes to shove, I’m willing to let them know about my…night work. But that’s only a last resort. As long as we make a plan and soon…”

“He’s been getting to you, huh?”

Matt frowned over his mug. “Has he been bothering you, Foggy? You know you can always tell me if—”

“It’s fine, honestly, but I do think he’s rude and arrogant.”

Matt grinned roguishly. “He’s me so I must have some trace of those qualities, myself.”

“You don’t, you’re awesome,” Foggy said, loyal to his friend. Matt’s face lit up like a Christmas tree and Foggy temporarily forgot how to process oxygen. 

“Try to stay out of his way and don’t ask him any difficult questions and he’ll be out of here faster than you can say ‘doppelganger.’”

“Aren’t we supposed to ask difficult questions? We’re lawyers.”

“Not with him. I don’t think digging into his personal life is a good idea.”

“Is he…” Foggy said and swallowed. “...dangerous?”

Matt raised an eyebrow. “ _I’m_ dangerous.”

“Not what I meant. You know what, forget it. I’ll try and be nice to your weird alternate self.”

“Thanks,” Matt said and it was worth it just to hear the rich gratitude sweetening his voice. “It won’t be for much longer. Then he’ll go and we can get on with...everything…”

 _Everything? Everything, like work? Or the crime-fighting? Or my crush that you’ve been oh-so-politely ignoring?_ Foggy thought.

Matt drained the last of his drink and thrust the cup at Foggy. “I should be going. I’m going to go over Miss Newman’s statement again, she thinks she has some new information for me.”

“Oh. Need me to come with?”

“No, I’ll be fine. You don’t mind holding the fort, do you?”

Foggy shrugged. He shouldn’t such a baby, it shouldn’t hurt that Matt didn’t want or need him to accompany him. But it did hurt, just like it hurt last night in his dream. He forced some brightness into his voice. “Do what you gotta do, Matty. Maybe I’ll do some research here. We can all have lunch together, right?”

“Of course,” Matt smiled and Foggy knew he’d said the right thing. It was tricky, finding ways to sidestep that pesky lie detector sense, but he had apparently assuaged any of Matt’s concerns. “I don’t know where Murdock is at the moment. He came to my apartment last night and slept on the couch, but he was gone when I woke up this morning. I don’t believe he found his way back home, or he would have left us a message of some kind. So if you see him…”

“Yeah. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“What would I do without you?” Matt asked and to Foggy’s surprise, he hugged him. It was airy-light and warm as sunshine, a brief encircling of strong arms and then he was gone.

* * *

The office felt so much bigger without Karen, Matt and Murdock. Foggy was free to use equipment without bumping into somebody, he had the run of the kitchen and there was nobody to see him buy and eat a whole box of doughnuts by himself on his mid-morning coffee break. But all good things come to an end, and his pesky new shadow soon returned.

He didn’t see the outstretched ankle until he was already falling, and he yelped, limbs flailing but something broke his fall.

He scowled up at Murdock’s smug face, grinning like Jack-o'-lantern. His face was more lined than Matt’s, Foggy hadn’t realised it but Murdock might be a few years older. There was a thin scar peeking out of his hairline and his nose had a kink in it, must have been broken before. Murdock held Foggy like he was a dancer dipping his partner, with one hand on the back of Foggy's neck, and the other around his waist. Foggy wasn’t a small guy but Murdock held him casually as if he was exerting no effort. Murdock’s arms were hard and tight around him, it was like being hugged by a statue. He was uncomfortably reminded of his dream, of the slave owner stating that non-mutants were weaker than mutants.

Foggy could see his own bewildered face staring back at him through the shade’s reflections. Two tiny, frowning Foggys to match the one held in Murdock’s arms. He opened his mouth to speak but Murdock beat him to it.

“You want to watch where you’re going. If your sight is deteriorating, I’d be happy to teach you Braille.”

“You tripped me!” Foggy said indignantly, pushing against Murdock’s arms. Murdock didn’t release him completely, but he let Foggy stand, still keeping his arms locked around Foggy’s waist. His fingers dug into Foggy’s back.

“Do you have a witness statement to back that up?” Murdock said sweetly. That humour sounded wrong in his voice, that was Matt’s sense of humour, not his.

Foggy struggled in Murdock’s grip, but it did nothing other than toss his hair about, the locks hitting Murdock in the face. Murdock’s face slackened, his mouth falling open. Suddenly, he buried his face in the glossy waves, Foggy could feel it, could hear the rattling inhalation and then the shuddering gasp as Murdock breathed out, into his hair.

“I could cross dozens of galaxies, smell the earth and the rain on a hundred planets and still not find anything that comes close to that scent.”

Foggy froze. “It’s...it’s just my hair, buddy.”

“It’s not. It’s the smell of old books, and fresh ink, it’s coffee and mint. It’s uniquely Foggy Nelson and I’d recognise it anywhere. It smells _right._ ”

Foggy struggled again, but it was sinking in that he wasn’t going anywhere until Murdock was done with the conversation.

“Where’s _your_ Foggy?”

Murdock’s grip tightened. Foggy tried not to react to the sudden pressure, not wanting to show weakness in front of this man. He knew there would be bruises later.

“Doesn’t matter. He’s not here now.”

Foggy waited. Always leave a silence for the client to fill...

“Besides,” Murdock went on, knotting a tendril of hair around his finger and rubbing his thumb along it. Foggy's scalp tingled. “While I’m in _this_ universe, _you’re_ my Foggy. It’s not like Matt wants you.”

_Ouch._

“I, I don’t think—”

“You don't _need_ to think,” Murdock hissed, dropping his mouth to Foggy’s throat. “Just let me — oh, for _fuck's_ sake," he cursed and shoved Foggy away like he was on fire.

Foggy stumbled but regained his balance.

A few moments later, Karen and Matt walked into the kitchen. Standing there, shoulder to shoulder, they looked beautiful. Like a power couple, a celebrity duo with a portmanteau shipping name, gracing the covers of _Vogue._ Her with hair as gold as flowing sunlight, him with a square jaw and hero proportions. They looked right, as they stood together. Foggy didn’t spare himself a second towards self-pity, though, because Murdock pounced on them as soon as they walked in.

“Hey, look who decided to show up! What were you two doing all day?”

“I was working on the Newman case and Karen has been conducting research to solve our little problem,” Matt said.

“You mean, plotting how to get rid of me?” Murdock said, folding his arms. Foggy glanced up at him. Murdock was stood beside him, flanking him like a bodyguard. Compared to Karen and Matt’s power couple profile, Foggy wondered how he and Murdock appeared.

Matt coolly shrugged. “You make it sound so sinister. I merely think you’ll feel happier once you’re back in your own world.”

“And you’ll be happier when you can have _this_ all to yourself again.” He gestured widely, capturing Foggy, Karen, the kitchen. It was impossible to know if he was referring to something specific.

“Well, the testosterone in this room is suffocating, so if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I’m going to get back to work,” Foggy said and made to leave. 

“You can pick up on that? Perhaps your senses are improving, too. Matt can teach you how to fight. You can be his sidekick.” Murdock said.

 _“He’s not going to learn to fight,_ ” Matt growled and Foggy and Karen did a double-take at his vehemence. Matt seemed to immediately regret that, because he scrubbed a hand over his face and tried again, speaking softer this time. “Sorry, Foggy. I just don’t want you getting mixed up in this. It’s too dangerous.” His face was practically radiating misery and Foggy felt a tug of sympathy, but he was sick of Matt treating him like a kid.

“I’m already mixed up in it. People know we’re friends and we work together. If you get outed as the Devil, I’m going to end up in the soup, too. I’m not saying that I want to come along with you on patrol or anything, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to teach me to fight, a bit of self-defence?” Even as he was saying it, Matt was firmly shaking his head.

“I can’t, I’m — I’m sorry, Foggy.”

“Oh,” Foggy said and _damn_ it, this shouldn’t hurt him, but after years of watching Matt date beautiful women, of seeing him limp around the office with mysterious injuries, of learning about his secret identity, this felt like another way for Matt to push him away. Another way for Matt to reject him, even though his friend didn’t realise that’s what he was doing. “It’s okay. No problemo.”

Matt nodded and bustled off with Karen scurrying behind him, leaving Foggy and Murdock alone. Murdock swept past him too, his hand brushing Foggy’s chest as he departed. Well, at least somebody wanted to spend time with him.

* * *

Foggy didn’t seek out Matt for the rest of the day and Matt didn’t come to him either. Karen gave Foggy an awkward smile in the corridor, but they didn’t talk. He couldn’t even talk to Murdock because he had swanned off to God-knows-where in that nonchalant way of his. Foggy worked, eyeing the clock, and when evening bloomed, he left with barely more than a “Bye” to Karen. Matt was in his office, Foggy saw no reason to disrupt him.

* * *

The nice thing about living alone was that there was nobody to witness your wallowing. Foggy slung his satchel in the corner of the room, gorged himself on pizza and watched a shitty vampire movie with crummy CGI. He napped on the couch, recharging his batteries, but was abruptly woken up by the buzzing of his cellphone. He blearily thumbed the screen, seeing an unknown number. Oh, those are never good. Especially not at ten o'clock at night. “Hello?” he croaked. Matt would probably have some cool, brooding hero way of answering the phone, but Foggy wasn’t Matt.

“Foggy? It’s Murdock. Can we meet?"

**Author's Note:**

> It's a Matt Murderdock fic, y'all! There will be explicit Matt Murderdock/Foggy Nelson in this and eventual Matt/Foggy. Please let me know if you liked it, this fandom is so quiet now, it would be cool to know there are still Daredevil fans around. :)


End file.
